Agricultural extension–Private sector ties: Key to implementing low-emission rice zones

Agricultural extension and enterprise cooperation

On October 28, in Dinh My commune, An Giang province, Loc Troi Group, in coordination with the National Agricultural Extension Center (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), organized a workshop titled “Developing a cooperation plan between local agricultural extension forces and technical staff of agricultural enterprises to jointly implement material zones under the one-million-hectare high-quality, low-emission rice project.”

The event gathered representatives from specialized agencies, departments, enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers to explore practical coordination mechanisms and promote the effectiveness of agricultural extension and science and technology in sustainable rice production.

Mr. Le Quoc Thanh, Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center, emphasized that linking local agricultural extension services with enterprises is not only essential but also a breakthrough solution for achieving productivity, quality, and emission reduction targets under the project.

According to Mr. Thanh, the implementation of the Agricultural Extension Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, has been concretized in Circular No.60/2025/TT-BNNMT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, guiding the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of public service units performing agricultural extension work at provincial and communal levels. Accordingly, agricultural extension will expand into “enterprise-based extension” and “social extension.”

Enterprises like Loc Troi represent professional agricultural extension forces with technical, technological, and financial capacity to support farmers. When these two systems integrate, scientific knowledge reaches the fields more quickly and practically.

Mr. Thanh added that agricultural extension must be close to and serve farmers while ensuring a sustainable livelihood for extension workers. Integrating enterprises into this system will help form a long-term mechanism that secures benefits for extension officers and promotes the application of science and technology in production.

Comprehensive cultivation solutions

At the workshop, Mr. Huynh Van Thon, Chairman of Loc Troi Group, shared the group’s orientation for cooperation between agricultural extension forces and enterprises, while introducing a comprehensive rice cultivation solution aimed at sustainable development and emission reduction, based on research results from the Loc Troi Agricultural Research Institute.

The solution was implemented during the 2024–2025 winter–spring and 2025 summer–autumn crops with three models: semi-biological cultivation, comprehensive cultivation, and chemical cultivation. Among them, comprehensive cultivation optimally combines biological and chemical methods, applying eco-friendly products such as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Beauveria bassiana, and Metarhizium anisopliae, along with organic fertilizers, humic acids, amino acids, brassinosteroids, and soil-improving agents.

Results showed that this solution helped rice roots develop better, with yields 19.2% higher than traditional cultivation in the winter–spring crop and 10.78% higher in the summer–autumn crop. Farmers’ profits increased significantly, while inorganic fertilizer use dropped by 30% and chemical pesticide use by 50%. Notably, the density of beneficial insects doubled compared to chemical models, demonstrating the ecological balance and biodiversity of rice fields.

Mr. Huynh Van Thon affirmed that Loc Troi’s goal is to build a cooperative model involving local agricultural extension officers, enterprise technical staff, and core farmers. Each plays a specific role but works toward the shared goal of effective, high-quality, and sustainable rice production. This model will form the foundation for organizing large-scale raw material zones, reducing emissions, and enhancing the value of Vietnamese rice.

Coordinating the three key pillars

According to Mr. Le Huu Toan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang province, the locality is entering a new phase of sustainable agricultural development and production linked to environmental protection.

Between now and 2030, the province will develop approximately 350,000 hectares of high-quality rice, with over 120,000 advanced farmers participating in the local agricultural extension and cooperative network. These farmers are trained with knowledge and skills to apply science and technology, forming the core force in implementing green, circular, and low-emission cultivation models.

Mr. Toan stated that the linkage between agricultural extension and enterprises goes beyond technical support, opening pathways to market development and increasing product value. “We are shifting from the stage of sufficient production and export to one focused on quality, connecting production, processing, and consumption. This is an inevitable step if we want to maintain the Mekong Delta’s rice brand,” he emphasized.

Currently, An Giang is organizing and operating raw material zones as part of the one-million-hectare high-quality, low-emission rice project. The project’s success depends on close coordination among three key pillars: agricultural extension, enterprises, and farmers. Agricultural extension acts as the bridge bringing science to the fields, enterprises serve as the driving force to bring products to market, and farmers remain at the center of the entire production process.

The collaboration among agricultural extension, enterprises, and farmers will create a flexible operating system that enables farmers to access new technologies, adopt standardized production processes, ensure traceability, reduce input costs, and move toward green production. Among these, comprehensive cultivation models such as those of Loc Troi Group are seen as the right direction, enhancing economic efficiency while protecting the environment.